“I don't deserve it, but I'm happy to get it,” Magnier told ITV Racing anchor Ed Chamberlin in an interview, which was played during the ceremony. “I'm blown away by it, really.”

Magnier spoke in favour of racing's various factions coming together to work for the good of the whole sport.

“Our people running the sport really have to make some tough decisions–and when they make tough decisions, the rest of us are going to have to row in behind them. There are too many sectional interests pulling in different directions.”

Internationally renowned for his bloodstock acumen, the owner-breeder also reminisced about various bloodstock adventures, from Camelot (GB)'s Triple Crown bid with a near-miss in the G1 St Leger, to losing out to Juddmonte on the colt that would subsequently become the undefeated, wunderkind Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).

“That was tough to take, all right,” said Magnier of the Doncaster reverse, adding of the Triple Crown, “It's something we would love to do one day. We won't give up.

“Frankel was a foal share with Juddmonte. Every second year we got the first pick. That year Juddmonte had the first pick and they picked Frankel. That was another one that got away.”

Added Magnier, whose Vincent O'Brien-trained Robert Sangster-owned El Gran Senor lost the G1 Derby in 1984 to Secreto, who was trained by the latter's son David, “He [El Gran Senor] was sold for $80 million if he had won the Derby. That's racing. In actual fact, I had a bet on Secreto, and Ladbrokes shut my account after. Mike Dillon gave me the cheque and I still have it framed in my office. We were able to buy a drink that night, anyway.”

Besides affirming Coolmore's ambition to secure the Triple Crown, Magnier emphasised the organisation's continued commitment to the Blue Riband. Coolmore and its affiliates have won nine Derbys since 2001, eight under the watchful eye of Ballydoyle's resident trainer Aidan O'Brien.

“A horse has to have everything to win at Epsom,” he said. “He has to have speed. He has to have stamina. He has to have soundness. He has to have courage. He has to go through the razzamatazz of the day. It's the complete test of the horse.

“There's an interesting story [on hiring Aidan]. He came here to the office, and I was going to have a chat with him to see if we could work something out. He said to me he had been here before. I said to him, 'What were you doing here before?' He said he had tried to get a job here and had met Christy Grassick. I asked him what happened, and he said he hadn't given him the job. I said, 'Clever of him. Christy could have lost his job!'”

He added of Vincent O'Brien, who preceded O'Brien at Rosegreen, “He understood all aspects of the business. He understood the American bloodlines, he understood the finance and he understood if you didn't have the owner, you weren't going to get the horse. He was a man apart, really. You couldn't help but learn from him. He was a genius.

Magnier also paid tribute to his late mother, Evie Stockwell,  The Queen, as well as legendary jockey Lester Piggott, who all died this year.

“She loved the horses and spent two or three hours reading the Racing Post,” reflected Magnier on his mother, who enjoyed Breeders' Cup success as an owner-breeder with Hit It A Bomb (War Front). “It was a big part of her life.

“She [The Queen] was such a positive for racing. It will be very tough to manage without her.”

Of Piggott, Magnier said, “You could hear the crack of Lester's whip. He would probably get jailed today if he did that, but he was an artist at work. He had an aura about him. If he came into a room, you kind of knew he was there. He would come to Ballydoyle, especially in the spring, have a few glasses of champagne and smoke a cigar. He was very interesting.”

The post Coolmore’s John Magnier The 2022 Recipient Of The Sir Peter O’Sullevan Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Born on Guy Fawkes' Day 1935, Lester Piggott was born to ride.  His father Keith was a successful trainer, most notably sending out Ayala to win the Grand National in 1963. Keith's father Ernie had been the leading steeplechase jockey in the second decade of the 20^th century, three times winning the National Hunt jockeys' championship and three times riding the Grand National winner.  Ernie's wife Margaret, Lester's grandmother, was the sister of Mornington Cannon, England's leading Flat jockey in the final years of the 19^th century when he was champion jockey six times and rode six Classic winners.  Her other three brothers were also successful jockeys, including Kempton Cannon who, like Mornington, also rode a Derby winner. Keith's wife Iris was the daughter of one Classic-winning jockey (Fred Rickaby Sr), the sister of another (Fred Rickaby Jnr) and the aunt of Fred Rickaby (twice Britain's champion apprentice in the early 1930s and subsequently a leading trainer in South Africa) and his younger brother Bill, one of Britain's leading jockeys from the 1930s to the '60s.  She herself was a talented horsewoman, riding the winner of the Newmarket Town Plate in 1928, in the days when that was the only British race in which women were allowed to ride.

This pedigree gave every suggestion that Lester might have the attributes required to become a successful jockey, either on the Flat or over jumps.  What it did not predict, though, was the scope of the success which he would enjoy or the full extent to which he would master his craft.  Even in a family of master-horsemen, he took the art of jockeyship to another level altogether.

Apprenticed to his father, Lester took to race-riding like a duck to water.  He rode his first winner, The Chase at Haydock Park, on 18^th August 1948, aged 12.  The following season he rode six winners from 120 mounts.  In his third year, 1950, he rode 52 winners from 404 mounts, finishing eleventh in the jockeys' championship, still aged only 15.  (He had to sit out the final weeks of the campaign, including his 16^th birthday, as the stewards had suspended him for the remainder of the season after his ruthlessly competitive streak had begun to reveal itself when he had allowed his horse to interfere with Scobie Breasley's mount in a race at Newbury in October).

Aged 16, Lester rode his first big-race winner at the Epsom Spring Meeting in 1951 when guiding Barnacle (GB) to victory in the Great Metropolitan H. Three months later he scored for the first time at what would now be called Group One level, winning the Eclipse S. at Sandown on the French raider Mystery IX (Fr). The career of the greatest jockey of the 20^th century thus far, Gordon Richards, was drawing to a close (in that 1951 season he won the 24^th of his 26 jockeys' championships) and it was becoming ever clearer that the boy wonder might be his successor.  However, it was not all plain sailing.

Coming from a family of racing professionals, Lester had been reared to regard it as axiomatic that he would be competing in a hard game where only ruthlessness might guarantee success.  He may have had the boyhood face of an angel, but underneath the surface there lay a core as hard as iron. Richards and his contemporaries were not going to give up their supremacy without a fight but the young pretender was not going to back down either.

Lester had his first ride in the Derby in 1952, finishing second on Gay Time (GB), beaten only by one of the old guard, the 46-year-old Charlie Smirke winning on HH Aga Khan III's Tulyar (Ire).  The following year he rode into the winner's enclosure after one of the major races at the Derby Meeting for the first time, landing the first of his nine Coronation Cups on Zucchero (Ire) and then, still aged only 18, in 1954 he won the Derby for the first time, riding the 33/1 shot Never Say Die, the first Kentucky-bred to take the great race, to victory for 73-year-old trainer Joe Lawson and American owner Robert Sterling Clark.  Never Say Day followed up in the autumn in the St Leger, but Smirke was in the saddle by then as Lester's career was by then at a cross-roads, his never-say-die attitude having brought matters to a head at Royal Ascot.

Two weeks after the Derby, Lester rode Never Say Die in the King Edward VII S. at Ascot.  It turned out to be one of the roughest races ever seen at the Royal Meeting as Lester refused to give up without a fight when he found himself trapped in a pocket by Gordon Richards (by then Sir Gordon Richards) at the top of the straight. The stewards decided that he alone was responsible for the interference that ensued, concluding their inquiry with the report that they had 'taken notice of his dangerous and erratic riding both this season and in previous seasons, and in spite of continuous warnings he had continued to show complete disregard for the Rules of Racing and the safety of other jockeys'. They withdrew his license to ride and let it be known that no consideration would be given to its renewal for at least six months, and that in the interim he must work for a trainer other than his father. Consequently Lester came to Newmarket and worked for Jack Jarvis, to whom his cousin Bill Rickaby was stable jockey.

As we now know, Lester managed to temper his ruthless will to win with the degree of prudence required to keep on the right side of the authorities.  His license was restored in 1955 and, succeeding Richards (who had retired the previous summer) as stable jockey to Noel Murless, he rode a century of winners for the first time, finishing third to Doug Smith in the championship with 103 victories.

At that stage, the stewards did not prove to be the only potential obstacle in the way of Lester's progress to the very top of the riding tree. His size was also becoming a problem.  He was continuing to grow, eventually reaching the height of 5′ 8″, which doesn't seem too much nowadays but was then regarded as unfeasibly tall for a Flat jockey.  He was naturally as adept at riding over jumps as his pedigree suggested, and in the winter of 1953/'54 he had ridden regularly over hurdles, scoring at the National Hunt Meeting at Cheltenham (now the Cheltenham Festival) on Mull Sack and winning the Triumph Hurdle (now a Grade One race at the Cheltenham Festival but then run at the now-defunct Hurst Park) on Prince Charlemagne.  However, showing the iron self-disciple which was to become his hallmark, he managed his weight well enough to be able to do Flat-race weights throughout his career. In later years it became part of the Piggott myth that his breakfast was 'a cough and a copy of the Sporting Life' augmented by cigars, plus the luxury of a cup of black coffee if he wasn't riding light that day.

By the time that Lester attained his majority, therefore, he was well on the way to race-riding greatness.  His partnership with Murless was proving to be the first of the three great relationships which defined his career.  (The second of them was with Vincent O'Brien in the '60s and '70s and the third with Henry Cecil in the '80s).  At the ripe old age of 21, Lester enjoyed a true annus mirabilis on Murless' horses in 1957, taking the 2,000 Guineas in the spring on Sir Victor Sassoon's Crepello (GB) and then completing the greatest double of all at Epsom where Crepello followed up in the Derby and Queen Elizabeth II's Carrozza (GB) won the Oaks. He and Murless won the Oaks again two years later with Prince Aly Khan's Petite Etoile (GB) and over the next two seasons that charismatic grey filly proved herself to be one of the greatest and most popular horses whom he ever rode.

In 1960, the year in which Petite Etoile and Lester won the first of their two Coronation Cups, Lester won the first of his 11 jockeys' championships, riding 170 winners from 640 rides during one of the several season-long duels which he had with Scobie Breasley during that period.  His association with Murless' Warren Place stable seemed like a match made in heaven, while he was he clearly the jockey whom everyone wanted to use when Murless did not have a runner. This was never more clear than at Royal Ascot in 1965, where he rode three winners for Murless and took the Gold Cup on Fighting Charlie (GB) for Freddie Maxwell, the Coventry S. on Young Emperor (Ire) for Paddy Prendergast, the New (now Norfolk) S. for Fulke Johnson Houghton on Tin King (GB), the Chesham S. for Eddie Reavey on Swift Harmony (GB) and the King George V S. for Walter Nightingall on Brave Knight (GB).

All good things come to an end, though, and Lester's insatiable desire for success eventually meant that he outgrew Warren Place.  He had been taking occasional rides for Vincent O'Brien since 1958, when he won the Gold Cup at Ascot, the Goodwood Cup and the Ebor H. at York on Gladness (GB).  In 1966 Murless had Varinia (GB) in the Oaks but Lester reckoned that O'Brien's Valoris (Fr) had a better chance.  He therefore took the ride on the latter and, needless to say, won. Murless read the writing on the wall and, although Lester won some good races for the stable later in the season including the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot on Aunt Edith (GB), the Royal Lodge S. on Royal Palace (GB) and the Cheveley Park S. on Fleet (Ire), at the end of the season it was announced that henceforth Lester would be riding as a freelance and Murless would be retaining the great Australian George Moore as his stable jockey with the Scottish teenager Sandy Barclay, who had been champion apprentice in 1966, riding as second jockey.  That arrangement lasted one year, with Barclay promoted to stable jockey in 1968.

Murless' success continued unabated, most obviously with both Royal Palace and Fleet winning Classics under Moore in 1967, but Lester did even better. Although O'Brien initially continued to retain Liam Ward as his jockey in Ireland, Piggott became his overseas jockey and a torrent of triumph followed, most notably with four Derby winners in 10 years thanks to the superstars Sir Ivor, Nijinsky (Can), Roberto and The Minstrel as well as the dual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Alleged. In the 1970 Triple Crown hero Nijinsky, Lester seemed to have found a partner to match his own unparalleled brilliance, although he was reportedly heard once to claim that Roberto (who, like The Minstrel, seemed to need all of his jockey's supreme skill to secure his Derby victory) was the most talented of them all.

Eventually Pat Eddery, whose maternal grandfather Jack Moylan had ridden winners for O'Brien in the 1940s, was offered a retainer for Ballydoyle. The upshot was that Lester, by now well into his 40s, found himself back at Warren Place, where Murless' son-in-law Henry Cecil was now the trainer. Willie Carson, Pat Eddery and Joe Mercer had been the champion jockeys since Lester had topped the table for the ninth time in 1971, but in 1981 and '82 the Piggott/Cecil team was so dominant that Lester won his tenth and eleventh (and final) championships.  His toughness was particularly evident in 1981 when, aged 45, he suffered a horrific injury at the Epsom Spring Meeting when his mount in a sprint burrowed out from under the front of the starting-stalls. He looked set for a lengthy spell on the side-lines but, impervious as ever to pain, was back in the saddle the following week to guide Jim Joel's home-bred Henry Cecil-trained filly Fairy Footsteps (GB) to victory in the 1,000 Guineas. Arguably the greatest horse whom he rode for Cecil during  this period, though, was Charles St George's peerless stayer Ardross (Ire).

As he closed in on his 50^th birthday, Lester continued to be the man most in demand on the big occasions, riding his ninth Derby winner in 1983 on the Geoff Wragg-trained Teenoso; winning both the Oaks and St Leger in 1984, on the John Dunlop-trained Circus Plume (GB) and the Luca Cumani-trained, Ivan Allan-owned Commanche Run (Ire) respectively; and the 2,000 Guineas in 1985 on the Michael Stoute-trained Shadeed.  Eventually Father Time brought his career to a halt at the end of the 1985 season. Or so we thought.

Lester had always been full of surprises and the next few years contained enough plot-twists to fill the most inventive of novels.  He took up training in his Eve Lodge stables in Newmarket's Hamilton Road and, almost inevitably, got off to superb start when Cutting Blade (GB) won the Coventry S. at Royal Ascot in 1986 under Cash Asmussen. However, a trip to prison when convicted of tax evasion (a conviction which saw him stripped of his OBE) intervened and eventually, bizarrely, led to a return to the saddle.  Vincent O'Brien's jockey John Reid had been injured at Longchamp on Arc Day in 1990 and, needing a rider for July Cup winner Royal Academy in the Breeders' Cup Mile, the veteran trainer suggested that his former jockey should re-apply for his license. The process was rushed through and the ultimate fairy-tale followed as Lester, just nine days short of his 55^th birthday and having had minimal time to hone his fitness, rode the race of a lifetime to force Royal Academy's nose to the front in the shadows of the Belmont Park winning post.

Lester continued to ride for another four years, notably gaining his record 30^th and final British Classic success when taking the 2,000 Guineas in 1992 on the Robert Sangster-owned, Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained Rodrigo De Triano. There was not a dry eye in the house when Vincent O'Brien, aged 76, led Lester, aged 57 and wearing the silks of the trainer's wife Jacqueline, back into the winner's enclosure at Royal Ascot after the Cork & Orrery S. (now Platinum Jubilee) S. in 1993 on College Chapel (GB). Lester's final season riding in Great Britain was in 1994, his final domestic ride coming on the unplaced Sally Hall-trained Mr Confusion (Ire) in the November H. at Doncaster on his 59^th birthday. Fittingly, however, for someone who had become the ultimate international jockey and had enjoyed extensive success as well as massive popularity and respect all around the world, he actually rode his final winners in Australia, in the early months of 1995.

It is nearly 500 years since John Donne wrote in 1624 “… send not to know for whom the bell tolls.  It tolls for thee”. When the bell tolls for Lester Piggott, it does indeed toll for all of us because, even for the 99.9% who never knew him (if, indeed, anyone ever did really know this human enigma who was more revered for his reserve than anyone ever could be loved for volubility) he was a massive part of all our yesterdays.  It is doubtful if there will ever be another sportsman as synonymous with his sport, or a jockey as respected the world over. He will, though, be most missed by those closest to him, including Maureen (Haggas) and Tracy (his daughters from his marriage to Susan) and his son Jamie. The TDN sends our condolences to his loved ones and to his friends.

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“He really was the greatest. His family are in our thoughts today,” John Magnier.

The Minstrel went on to win the Irish Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. in that same season.
Recalling Piggott's rare gift, Magnier told TDN Europe, “Obviously, a sad day and so many stories and great memories for Sue and I.
“I remember meeting Lester in the parade ring before the 1971 Haydock Sprint Cup. A group of us had bought into Green God (GB) a couple of days before and Lester was up for what was to be the horse's final race. 'Don't be looking for me at the furlong pole, I won't be there until the line,' he told me, and sure enough he produced him with his trademark impeccable timing.”
Magnier added, “At this time of year MV was regularly frustrated by Lester playing musical chairs of what he would be riding in the Derby. But he said, 'you have to put up with him, otherwise you give the opposition a 7lbs advantage!' He really was the greatest. His family are in our thoughts today.”
Willie Carson and Piggott held sway on the track in the 1970s and 80s when both jockeys were in their pomp and five-times champion Carson said he felt like a part of him had died with the most iconic racing figure of the 20th century.
Carson, along with Frankie Dettori, who described Piggott as his “hero”, paid heartfelt tributes to the legendary rider on Sunday morning.
“I feel as though I have lost part of my life in way, as Lester has been part of my life ever since I came into racing,” said an emotional Carson.
“I came to his in-laws as an apprentice and he was part of my life right from the word go, until the end. He was an iconic figure in the horse racing world. He is a legend.
“We had the luck of some ding-dongs on the track and he was a person who made us all better-because we had to be better to beat him. We had to up our game to compete with him, because he was so magical on top of a horse. It is so sad. Part of my life has gone – that is how I feel.”
Dual Derby-winning jockey Frankie Dettori, who will be aboard Donnacha O'Brien's Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) at Epsom on Saturday, echoed Carson's thoughts on Piggott.
Dettori said, “Lester was a hero of mine and a good friend. The impact he has made in racing, on all of us, is second to none.”
He added, “I will always try to remember him for the good things and I offer my sincere condolences to his family and his many friends. He was a legend. We always tried to aspire to be like him and none of us can do it.”
Sir Michael Stoute was also among the leading industry figures to pay tribute to Piggott. Stoute shared how he felt Piggott was instrumental in getting his training career off the ground.
Piggott rode an English and Irish Classic winner for the Newmarket trainer, who will be represented the likely favourite Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in Saturday's Cazoo Derby at Epsom.
“It is sad news,” said Stoute. “He rode my first winner on the Rowley Mile on a horse called Sandal, who was owned by my father, in 1972.
“He won the Irish Derby on Shergar (GB) (1981) and he won the 2000 Guineas on Shadeed (1985), as Walter (Swinburn) was suspended for both of those. He was super-sub and he was not a bad sub! Lester was a genius on a racehorse. I don't think there has been anyone better.”
Piggott's 4,493 winners-over 5,000 worldwide-is the third-highest tally in British racing history behind only Sir Gordon Richards and Pat Eddery.
Stoute added, “Lester could be very entertaining when he was in the mood – he had a great sense of humour. But he was tough to talk to at times.
“In 1980, actually, he had the pick of plenty of mine, with the hope of carrying that on, but he had fallen out with a few people by that stage.
“He is an icon, a brilliant jockey. Many have tried to be like him and no one has come close.”

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In the days when Saeed bin Suroor was Godolphin's principal trainer he had masterminded Dubawi's 2-year-old campaign superbly, the colt from the sole crop of Dubai Millennium ending the 2004 season unbeaten after winning the G1 National S. at the Curragh. Shamardal had been with Mark Johnston as a 2-year-old. He too had ended 2004 with a perfect three-from-three record, his hat-trick culminating in victory in the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket.  Already Dubaian-owned, he was transferred to bin Suroor's stable after the race and bore the royal blue livery for the rest of his career.

Shamardal was the first to run in 2005 but it was not an auspicious start: he ran poorly on dirt in the UAE Derby and clearly needed longer than four weeks to recover from that chastening experience so he didn't run in the 2,000 Guineas, in which Dubawi started the 11/8 favourite.  On the day Dubawi wasn't good enough, finishing fifth behind Foostepsinthesand (GB) (Giant's Causeway), but thereafter things fell into place perfectly.

Shamardal made a victorious return to European racing 15 days later, taking the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Longchamp to initiate a top-level hat-trick, completed by wins in the G1 Prix du Jockey-Club over 2100m at Chantilly and, dropping back to a mile only nine days later, the G1 St. James's Palace S. Sadly that proved to be his final race as he went amiss shortly before the G1 Eclipse S., in which he had been due to clash with the wide-margin Derby winner Motivator (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}).

Dubawi, meanwhile, had also kept himself busy. Heading to the Curragh three weeks after Newmarket, he was a ready winner of the G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas, beating Oratorio (Ire) (Danehill) by two lengths. Saeed bin Suroor had played his cards perfectly, with both Dubawi and Shamardal ending the spring as Classic winners.

Despite the obvious doubts about Dubawi's potential stamina, Sheikh Mohammed took the sporting option of sending his diminutive star to Epsom two weeks after his Classic triumph. The genuine little horse did his best, but the testing 12-furlong course proved to be a bridge too far as Dubawi weakened in the final two furlongs, finishing third of the 13 runners.  Undaunted, he returned to the fray later in the summer, confirming himself to be a top-class miler with two excellent efforts in weight-for-age company, winning the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville before coming off second best in a terrific duel with the international superstar Starcraft (NZ) (Soviet Star) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S., run that year at Newmarket.

Happily, the history books now show that the splendid racecourse achievements of Dubawi and Shamardal were merely the first part of their stories as each proceeded to establish himself in the highest echelons of the world's stallion ranks.

Godolphin, of course, is not the only operation to have found itself with the enviable but tricky task of making the most of a strong hand.  It is a problem to have faced both of the O'Briens to have brought glory to Ballydoyle, Vincent and Aidan. For Vincent O'Brien, the year in which Ballydoyle most notably contained a pair of great Classic colts was 1984.

At the start of 1984, all eyes in Europe were on the unbeaten Dewhurst winner El Gran Senor. Bred in partnership by E. P. Taylor, Vincent O'Brien, Robert Sangster and John Magnier, El Gran Senor was a full-brother to the 1977 Dewhurst winner Try My Best and had oozed class from the outset, so much so that his connections had opted to name him in honour of the human 'El Gran Senor', Northern Dancer's trainer Horatio Luro.  The equine El Gran Senor lived up to this compliment during an unbeaten 2-year-old campaign, his final victory coming when he trounced Rainbow Quest (Blushing Groom {Fr}) in the Dewhurst, winning with such authority that Timeform gave him the startlingly high rating (for a 2-year-old) of 131, the same figure with which Nijinsky II (Northern Dancer) had ended 1969.

The highest hopes generally lead to disappointment, but on 2000 Guineas Day the dreams of racegoers came true as a great Classic was run before their eyes. Pat Eddery deployed El Gran Senor's brilliant acceleration to devastating effect. Chasing El Gran Senor home were three outstanding horses: Chief Singer (Ire) (Ballad Rock {Ire}), Lear Fan (Roberto) and Rainbow Quest.

Timeform's Racehorses of 1983 had rated El Gran Senor's chances of staying the Derby distance as “doubtful” but Vincent O'Brien naturally took up the challenge of the greatest race of all, as he had previously done so successfully with the other supposedly doubtful stayers Sir Ivor and Nijinsky after their brilliant 2,000 Guineas victories in 1968 and '70.  It turned out that El Gran Senor was indeed not nearly as effective at a mile and a half as he was at distances up to a mile, but even so he nearly won the Derby (only just touched off by his paternal half-brother Secreto, trained by Vincent O'Brien's son David) before cruising home in the Irish Derby ahead of the valiant Rainbow Quest (himself, of course, subsequently the winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe).  

El Gran Senor's form kept being franked throughout the summer as Chief Singer won successively the G2 St. James's Palace S., the G1 July Cup and the G1 Sussex S., while Lear Fan took the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois. However, during this period it became clear that El Gran Senor was not the only outstanding 3-year-old colt in Ballydoyle.

Two members of the stable contested the G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.  One of these had been rated the second best 2-year-old colt in Ireland in 1983, 10lb behind El Gran Senor.  That colt, Sadler's Wells, reappeared in the spring in the same race (the G3 Gladness S. at the Curragh) in which El Gran Senor resumed, finishing a respectful runner-up behind his superior stablemate.

Winner of the G3 Derrinstown Derby Trial on his next start, Sadler's Wells was the less-fancied of the Ballydoyle duo in the Irish Guineas, with stable jockey Pat Eddery electing to ride the shorter-priced Capture Him (Mr Prospector).  This left the mount on Sadler's Wells free for George McGrath, who had ridden him in his two previous races that spring.  McGrath, Ireland's champion jockey of 1965 and '70, was then in the twilight of a distinguished career, employed mainly as a Ballydoyle work-rider. He had won the Irish Derby 11 years previously but it turned out that, Eddery having chosen the wrong horse, he was able to record his most famous victory when Sadler's Wells came home in front, with Capture Him only fourth.

Sadler's Wells's true ability thus having started to appear, it became ever more clear during the coming months, most notably thanks to two great triumphs at weight-for-age in the G1 Eclipse S. and the G1 Phoenix (now Irish) Champion S. at Phoenix Park.  He further demonstrated his class and toughness with second placings behind Darshaan (with Rainbow Quest third) in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and behind the previous year's Derby winner Teenoso (Youth) in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S., ahead of Tolomeo (Ire), Time Charter (Ire) and Sun Princess (Ire).

Earlier comments about Dubawi and Shamardal going on to glory at stud can be applied, of course, even more emphatically to El Gran Senor and Sadler's Wells.  The latter holds the record for the most sires' championships of Britain and Ireland (14), while in one respect El Gran Senor's figures are even better.  Having retired in 1985 to Windfields Farm in Maryland alongside his father, El Gran Senor was bedevilled by poor fertility throughout his stud career, which ended when he was pensioned aged 19 in 2000. All told, he sired fewer than 400 foals, but his 55 stakes winners (12 of whom won at the highest level) gave him a lifetime stakes winners-to-foals ratio of just over 14%.

As numbers in Ballydoyle are now far larger than was ever the case when Vincent O'Brien was at the helm, Aidan O'Brien nowadays can find himself blessed/cursed (delete as applicable) with an even greater embarrassment of riches. This has never been more obvious than was the case in the spring of 2002.

Hawk Wing was the name on everyone's lips in advance of the 2002 season.  Although beaten by his more experienced stablemate Rock Of Gibraltar in the G3 Railway S. early in the summer of 2001, by the autumn Hawk Wing had been promoted to ante-post favouritism for the 2,000 Guineas, having stormed home in the G1 National S. at the Curragh.  He had captured the public's imagination even more than any of his stablemates, notwithstanding that he had plenty of competition from within his own stable: there were 22 juveniles in Europe in 2001 rated 110 or more by Timeform, and Aidan O'Brien trained half of them!

The aforementioned Rock Of Gibraltar had followed up that Railway S. victory by winning the G2 Gimcrack S., the G1 Grand Criterium and the G1 Dewhurst S.  In the last-named he led home a Ballydoyle trifecta, beating Landseer (GB) (Danehill) and Tendulkar (Spinning World).  Landseer had previously won the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot, with Rock Of Gibraltar only sixth.

Arguably the pick of the squad, though, was another Royal Ascot winner.  Johannesburg (Hennessy) had won all seven of his races as a juvenile including, uniquely for a 2-year-old, top-level contests in four countries: the G1 Phoenix S. at Leopardstown, the G1 Prix Morny at Deauville, the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Belmont. Another Group 1-winning juvenile for Ballydoyle in 2001 had been High Chaparral (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), successful in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.

The hand of cards which Aidan O'Brien thus had to play in the spring of 2002 was overflowing with aces. The situation became slightly clearer when it was decided that Johannesburg's Classic target in the spring would (understandably) be at Churchill Downs rather than Newmarket. The policy decided upon was to maximise the advantage conferred by strength in depth and though Johannesburg's Kentucky Derby attempt ended in disappointment, in Europe that plan bore fruit. 

Hawk Wing was the stable's first string in both the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby but he was a beaten favourite in both, each time finishing second to a lesser-fancied, Johnny Murtagh-ridden stablemate: Rock Of Gibraltar at Newmarket and High Chaparral at Epsom. Those two horses, of course, went on to compile magnificent records, ultimately retiring with a Group 1 tally of seven and six respectively; while Hawk Wing went on register the admirable feat of winning at the highest level in each of three consecutive seasons, courtesy of wins in the G1 Eclipse S. at three and the G1 Lockinge S. (by 11 lengths) at four.

Charlie Appleby's hand this year isn't quite as strong as the cards which Aidan O'Brien was holding 20 years ago, but it's strong enough. And the certainty is that Appleby, like O'Brien, is a trainer with the skill to play them to best advantage.

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However, with the news that–whisper it–the world has fully reopened, there's never been a better time to dust off the suitcase and begin planning trips away again. And if it's Ireland you're thinking of, Tipperary might just have the answer, for waiting patiently in the starting stalls is John Magnier's most exciting new prospect.

We're not talking about the Saxon Warrior 2-year-olds burning up the gallops down the road at Ballydoyle, but rather the Cashel Palace, opening on Mar. 1 and a Palladian manor, lovingly restored and reimagined to be a 42-room hotel with a ballroom and luxury spa attached.

Under the reins of Adriaan Bartels, leader of this passion project since the first plans were laid in 2017 right up until the first guest walks through the doors in March and beyond, one can't help but think that Magnier has found a very safe pair of hands. The former general manager at two of Ireland's finest hotels, Bartels says, “This is truly a dream job. It has been fantastic to be a part of a project like this from the start, working closely with Mrs Magnier and Jerome Casey to create a hotel that is just as we want it. We're really excited to throw open the doors now and for guests to see it for themselves.

He continues, “The Cashel Palace offers something that is entirely unique as it's located between town and countryside, giving visitors the opportunity to explore both. Obviously, the thriving Thoroughbred industry on our doorstep is a great asset but Tipperary has a lot more to offer in addition. When it comes to outdoor pursuits, there is no end of spectacular scenery if hiking is your thing, and the hotel also has private fishing rights along the River Suir which guests can avail of. Irish culture runs richly throughout the county and for the history buffs, there are a number of monuments in the area which have great stories to tell.”

None more so than the Rock of Cashel, providing an epic vista from the palace grounds; the most spectacular cluster of medieval buildings in Ireland and more iconic in religious terms than even St Mark's Basilica. The cathedral, not the horse, that is, although there'll be plenty in these parts praying that he too becomes an icon.

On the subject of stallions, the relationship between Coolmore and Cashel Palace is well acknowledged and, at a level, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy “Equine Experiences” that allow them into the stud and even the hallowed training grounds of Ballydoyle.

Indeed, the hotel's association with the racing world is longstanding. In the 1980's a certain Vincent O'Brien was proprietor and the Guinness Bar became a regular haunt for racegoers to enjoy a pint of the “black stuff” on their way home. Revellers will be delighted to learn that the same bar has been restored to its former glory, alongside the original Bishop's Buttery for those with a taste for fine-dining.

“We're spoilt to be situated in Tipperary's Golden Vale which is filled with great food producers, providing the country's natural larder,” Bartels adds. “As far as possible, we'll be using local produce across all of our eateries and we hope to offer guests a wide variety of options. There'll be fine-cuisine in The Bishop's Buttery, Afternoon Tea served in the Queen Anne Room or a more casual dining experience in the already well-established Mikey Ryan's next door.”

Another trump card in the palace's armoury is undoubtedly The Spa which, as well as treatment rooms, includes an indoor/outdoor swimming pool and seaweed baths overlooking the Rock of Cashel. And as for the spa products, they are by Bamford; the creation of another great racing family who have paved the way in hospitality excellence with their growing Daylesford empire in the UK.

Of course, this isn't Magnier's first dalliance into the hotel industry either. The Sandy Lane, a jewel on the Barbadian coastline, is another under his ownership with partners Dermot Desmond and JP McManus, regularly playing host to the great and the good.

While the white sands of Barbados might be a long way from Tipperary, in the Cashel Palace you'll find a rural retreat at a standard that is synonymous with the Magnier family's way of doing things.

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Launched to mark the 10th anniversary of QIPCO's sponsorship of the British Champions Series, the first official Hall of Fame for British Flat racing sets out to immortalize the Modern Greats of the sport, both human and equine, from 1970 onwards.

On the basis of their undisputed status and achievements within the sport, the quartet will join inaugural inductees Frankel and Lester Piggott in the Hall of Fame, with O'Brien becoming the first trainer to gain membership.

Broadcaster Brough Scott, who undertook his first broadcast for ITV Racing in 1971, the year in which Brigadier Gerard completed his incredible unbeaten 3-year-old season, was part of the independent panel of horseracing experts who agreed on the inductees.

He said: “No racing decade ever had a start like the 1970s. Nijinsky, Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard – three horses of the century only a year apart. No Derby winner more majestic than Nijinsky, no Arc winner more of a mould-breaker than Mill Reef, no miler more complete than Brigadier Gerard.

“Irish genius Vincent O'Brien added to the magic of that era, setting a standard most could only dream of matching. He changed the racing and training landscape, and his legacy lives on at Ballydoyle and Coolmore – which remain two of the world's greatest racing operations to this day.

“They individually and collectively deserve these places within the Hall of Fame and the panel and I offer our heartfelt congratulations to their connections.”

Trainer O'Brien, who registered a total of 141 Group One wins, with 67 in the UK, died 12 years ago but his influence on the sport will go on forevermore. As well as training six Derby winners and a host of other British Classics, he also landed three consecutive Grand Nationals in the 1950s, making him one of few trainers to succeed in both disciplines at the highest level. He also created the superb training facilities at Ballydoyle and played a pivotal role in the development of Coolmore Stud – two of Ireland's, if not the world's, most illustrious racing operations. Tellingly, the winning machine that Vincent O'Brien helped create and develop continues to flourish to this day.

Brigadier Gerard, Mill Reef and Nijinsky – the last-named trained by O'Brien – all lit up the sport during the early 1970s. Between the three, they won an incredible 40 of their 45 races.

The mighty Brigadier Gerard, ridden by the late Joe Mercer, won 17 of his 18 races and is remembered as one of the greatest milers there has been, although he also shone over further. His record in 1971 was phenomenal, winning all six of his races, and his final resumé contained a British Classic in the 2000 Guineas, two Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and two Champion Stakes victories.

The Ian Balding-trained Mill Reef had to play second fiddle to Brigadier Gerard in the 2000 Guineas of 1971 but, upped in distance, he would never be beaten again. His exploits included outstanding victories in the Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Meanwhile, the majestic Nijinsky, ridden by inaugural Hall of Famer Lester Piggott, made history in 1970 by scooping the Triple Crown. No horse has since achieved this milestone of winning the 2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger in the same year. Nijinsky went on to become a hugely successful stallion and, to this day, remains the only sire to have a winner of the Derby (Epsom) and the Kentucky Derby in the same year.

Connections of these four stars will receive a specially commissioned medal, designed by Asprey and unique within British racing, to mark their achievement. The four medals will be displayed at Doncaster's Cazoo St Leger day (Saturday 11th September) as part of a QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame exhibition. The exhibition can be found within the racecourse's grandstand in the Grandstand Enclosure.

Achieving a place in the Hall of Fame has become one of the highest accolades within British Flat racing, reflecting extraordinary achievements and contributions to the sport. Launched to mark the start of this year's QIPCO British Champions Series, a number of additional inductions will be announced in the build-up to QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot (Saturday Oct. 16), including one horse chosen by the public (vote here) which is open until Sept. 24.

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Marking the 10th anniversary of QIPCO's sponsorship of the British Champions Series, the Hall of Fame was launched in May with the inaugural inductees Lester Piggott and Frankel (GB).

During an illustrious career, O'Brien notched 141 Group 1 wins, with 67 of those coming in the UK, including six Derby winners. Prior to that his extraordinary success in the National Hunt field included training three consecutive winners of the Grand National. Moreover, he played a hugely significant role in the development of Coolmore Stud in partnership with his son-in-law John Magnier and Robert Sangster. O'Brien's particular liking of the stock of Northern Dancer led to some of Ballydoyle's and Coolmore's leading lights, including his fellow inductee and Triple Crown winner Nijinsky, and the Sangster-bred supersire Sadler's Wells.

“No racing decade ever had a start like the 1970s. Nijinsky, Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard–three horses of the century only a year apart. No Derby winner more majestic than Nijinsky, no Arc winner more of a mould-breaker than Mill Reef, no miler more complete than Brigadier Gerard,” said Hall of Fame panellist and broadcaster Brough Scott.

“Irish genius Vincent O'Brien added to the magic of that era, setting a standard most could only dream of matching. He changed the racing and training landscape, and his legacy lives on at Ballydoyle and Coolmore–which remain two of the world's greatest racing operations to this day. 

“They individually and collectively deserve these places within the Hall of Fame and the panel and I offer our heartfelt congratulations to their connections.” 

Vincent O'Brien's son Charles said, “The QIPCO British Champion Series Hall of Fame is a wonderful initiative and, on behalf of the O'Brien family, we are absolutely delighted that Vincent O'Brien is the first trainer to be inducted. His achievements, both in the National Hunt and Flat spheres, are unparalleled and highly unlikely to ever be matched. Additionally, his creation of Ballydoyle as a training centre and his involvement in the early days of Coolmore Stud will ensure that his legacy will live on. We would like to thank QIPCO and the judging panel for helping to ensure that this is the case.”

Nijinsky, whose name is intertwined with both O'Brien and Lester Piggott, claimed the Triple Crown in 1970, a feat that has not been repeated in the intervening years. From a hugely successful stallion career, he remains the only sire to have had a winner of the Derby and the Kentucky Derby in the same year, in Shahrastani and Ferdinand.

Brigadier Gerard, bred in Britain by his owners John and Jean Hislop, was ridden by Joe Mercer to win 17 of his 18 races, including the 2000 Guineas, two Queen Elizabeth II S., and two Champion S.

Mill Reef, trained by Ian Balding, was runner-up to Brigadier Gerard in the 2000 Guineas of 1971 but was never beaten again in subsequent starts, including in the Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Fifty years on from Mill Reef's magnificent 3-year-old season, his trainer's son Andrew Balding is currently leading the trainers' championship in Britain. 

Connections of the four inductees will receive a specially commissioned medal which will be displayed at Doncaster on Cazoo St Leger day (Saturday) as part of a QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame exhibition. The exhibition can be found within the racecourse's grandstand in the Grandstand Enclosure. 

A number of additional inductions will be announced in the build-up to QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday, Oct. 16. These include one horse chosen by the public, who can vote here until Sept. 24.

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An Epsom Derby winner himself, Galileo entered stud at four in 2002, and his first 3-year-olds raced in 2006. His five Epsom Derby winners through 16 crops of 3-year-olds are New Approach (Ire) (in 2008), Ruler of the World (Ire) (2013), Australia (GB) (2014), Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (2019), and Serpentine (Ire) (2020).

In addition to Adayar for Frankel this year, New Approach's Masar (Ire) won in 2018, giving the Galileo branch of Sadler's Wells seven winners in the 16 years that Galileo has had foals old enough to contest the Derby.

New Approach is an accomplished sire, but Frankel, already with 17 Group/Grade 1 winners, is an exceptional one, and he's creating some history because it's a long-held view among pedigree historians that exceptional sire sequences last at most three generations before hegemony crumbles.

We're possibly witnessing this phenomenon in real time with the sequence of Northern Dancer/Sadler's Wells/Montjeu (Ire), for example. Like Galileo, Montjeu was a top-class racehorse and a great stallion in his own right, and with four winners of the Epsom Derby, he's tied with several others in second place. Had he not died early at 16, it's possible he'd have had more and been able to compete with Galileo, but to date he hasn't had a sire son like Galileo of the caliber of Frankel, though Camelot (Ire) is good.

Coolmore's Derby Dominance…

Sadler's Wells was raced by Robert Sangster and stood at Coolmore, and as outstanding as he was as a stallion, he didn't get his first Epsom Derby winner until he was 20, and that horse was Galileo. He did get a second winner in High Chaparral (Ire) the next year, but that was it.

Northern Dancer had three: Nijinsky (1970), The Minstrel (1977), and Secreto (1984). All of them were trained at Ballydoyle, the first two by Vincent O'Brien, and Secreto by Vincent's son David O'Brien. Secreto, who raced for Luigi Miglietti, famously upset his father's highly fancied Northern Dancer colt El Gran Senor, flying the Sangster silks, in 1984.

At that time, Coolmore boss John Magnier, whose wife Sue is Vincent O'Brien's daughter, was the junior partner in the Sangster/O'Brien group, but after O'Brien, who trained six Epsom Derby winners, retired from training in 1994, Magnier installed Aidan O'Brien (no relation to Vincent) as trainer at Ballydoyle in 1996. Two years later Galileo was born to the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea. He was bred on a foal share between David Tsui, who owned and raced Urban Sea, and Magnier's breeding entity Orpendale. The colt initially raced in Sue Magnier's colors and later in partnership with Michael Tabor. Derrick Smith arrived a few years later and together they comprise what we now call the Coolmore racing partners, with John Magnier the senior member.

The arrival of Galileo at the races coincided with the retirement of Montjeu and reignited the Derby fortunes of both Coolmore, where Sadler's Wells was aging, and Ballydoyle, which had gone through a dry spell between the two O'Briens. Montjeu had raced in Tabor's colors and had been trained by John Hammond, but from Galileo onwards, most of the Coolmore partners' big guns have been trained by Aidan O'Brien, including all the top Galileos–and there have been many.

Because of Galileo, Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor have been recognized as the owners with the most number of Epsom Derby winners, with nine–a mind-boggling achievement. Aside from Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002) by Sadler's Wells, their winners (the later ones in partnership with Smith and others) are four by Galileo referenced earlier–Ruler of the World, Australia, Anthony Van Dyck, and Serpentine; two by Montjeu–Pour Moi (2011) and Camelot (2012); and one–Wings of Eagles (Fr) (2017)–by Pour Moi (Ire).

In the broader picture, each Derby winner is a member of the Sadler's Wells sire line, and keep in mind that these nine Epsom Derby wins have come over a period of 21 years, essentially meaning one every other year.

Aidan O'Brien…

Aidan O'Brien is the leading trainer of Epsom Derby winners with eight. He trained all of the above except for Pour Moi, who was trained by Andre Fabre, and he makes no secret of the fact that Galileo is the racehorse and stallion he holds well above any other.

Galileo gave O'Brien his first Derby and has supplied him as a sire with four others, so he knows what he's talking about.

In November of 2018, I made a trip to Ireland to specifically pay homage to Galileo and to speak to O'Brien, who at the time had won the Derby six times. The year before, O'Brien had won a record 28 Group 1 races, many of them with sons or daughters of Galileo, and I needed an explanation from the trainer to digest the sheer volume of gaudy numbers.

The first thing that struck me when I saw Galileo in the flesh was his size. He'd been listed at 16 hands but looked more like the 15.2 of his grandsire, whom he resembled in shape as well, if not as robustly made. But, even as an old man, he had a swagger to him and an intelligent eye that suggested a sound, bomb-proof constitution.

Meanwhile, Aidan O'Brien, who'd been at Ballydoyle for 23 years, still had a youthful appearance to him that belied his own experienced wisdom from learning about and training the great horse and his progeny for almost two decades. He's also unfailingly pleasant and polite and never fails to mention your name frequently in conversation.

When I asked him what is it about the Galileos, he said, “Sid, It's not about the exterior with them. It's not physical. It's a mental trait, Sid.”

And this is what he told me, which I'd published in this space two years ago but will reproduce again as it is poignant in remembering Galileo:

“Galileos are, like, very strange horses, meaning that they try so hard. And always with the Galileos, all you're trying to do is slow them down and relax them. With most other horses, it's the complete opposite. But Galileos, they never remember what happened yesterday. Say they got really tired–and when a horse gets really tired, they feel a bit of pain–some horses get very clever to that and they don't want to go back there anymore. So what happens is that when they start controlling that, you can only train them to a certain level because they won't let you push them any further. But with Galileos, they will give their absolute 150% every day. It's very strange. It's a mental trait, not a physical trait. Of all the horses we've ever trained, we've never seen it in another horse before. It's a gene that will carry on. It's a pure remind of him.”

That “try” that O'Brien described is a rare attribute that needs careful handling and development, something that could go awry without proper recognition and training. A lesser trainer, or one without an understanding of the Galileos, might squander what they see too early and overcook a horse before he's had a chance to show his potential, but O'Brien is meticulously patient in his handling of the Galileos, whom he oversees from as early as the time they are sent to Ballydoyle as yearlings in the autumn to be readied to race at two.

His is the type of symbiotic horsemanship that has brought out the best in the Galileos, and together they've had a mutually beneficial run that has lit up the record books.

O'Brien has won two more Derbys with sons of Galileo since my visit, and I wouldn't be surprised if he attempted to win a Gl Kentucky Derby with a colt from one of the stallion's remaining crops. It's something he mentioned to me, and as one of the architects of Galileo's success, he knows that it's a prize he'd like next to the great horse's name.

And, of course, the trainer will be looking to share a few more Derby wins at Epsom, too, with Galileo.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

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The son of Northern Dancer had already captured the 2000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby and the Irish Derby, and started at odds of 40-85 for Ascot's 1970 renewal. Nijinsky, the only 3-year-old in the field, cruised past his rivals on the bridle and defeated the previous year's Derby winner, Blakeney, to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes by an effortless two lengths.

Owned by Charles W. Engelhard Jr., trained by Vincent O'Brien and partnered by jockey Lester Piggott, Nijinsky went on to win the St Leger, and in doing so, became the first racehorse in 35 years to win the Triple Crown. A feat which no colt has matched since.

Following his impressive racing career, Nijinsky went on to stand at stud in the U.S. where he sired 155 stakes/group winners and remains the only sire to have the winner at the Kentucky and Epsom Derbies in the same year (1986 – Ferdinand & Sharastani). His notable progeny include King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winners Ile de Bourbon (1978) and Lammtarra (1995).

Lester Piggott, retired jockey, said;

“I am delighted to receive the QIPCO Diamonds and Pearls award. Nijinsky was a wonderful horse and was unbeaten at the time. There was a lot of hype going into the King George – the opposition was decent, they were good horses, every one of them had a chance. You had all the best – obviously we thought he would win. He came to the other horses in the straight so easily, it was hard to believe really but he won in a canter. It was a wonderful win and was probably the best performance of his career.”

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“I am delighted to receive the QIPCO Diamonds and Pearls award,” said Nijinsky II’s former jockey Lester Piggott. Nijinsky was a wonderful horse and was unbeaten at the time. There was a lot of hype going into the King George–the opposition was decent, they were good horses, every one of them had a chance. You had all the best–obviously we thought he would win. He came to the other horses in the straight so easily, it was hard to believe really but he won in a canter. It was a wonderful win and was probably the best performance of his career.”

Click here to view the video of Lester Piggott reliving Nijinsky II’s King George.

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